Lavender's Blue
by KawaiSonadowLover10
Summary: We've all heard of the tale of Cinderella and how she lost her slipper. The Prince ordered for every maiden in the kingdom to try on the slipper and the one who fits shall be his bride. Well, what if the story was twisted a bit. Instead of a maiden, it would be a young boy. And instead of a slipper - a song. How would this play out, you ask? Well why don't you read and find out.
1. Chapter 1

"Preposterous." Lotor muttered, circling his glass of wine. "Must I truly marry that dreadful child, father?" He looked up from where he was staring to look at the king.

Zarkon only raised a brow as his hand stopped midway up his mouth with a fork in between his fingers. "You chose him and he was the only one close to your age."

"Sophia's closer. So is Natalia." Lotor muttered again, this time picking at his food with his fork.

"And _he_ is next in line to be king." The servants and solders that stood by shivered, but the booming voice of his father did nothing to deter him. Instead he continued on picking at his food like he never spoke. "And besides, _you_ chose him." Zarkon straightened, feeling satisfied with how his son's grip on the fork tightened, his hand going still.

Lotor glared. "I was only six then, nothing but a mere child."

"And you chose well." The galran said after he swallowed his food. The sudden praise took the prince off guard - but he wouldn't let his father enjoy that pleasure. He immediately straightened his face. "We'll send out word of your engagement ball so all can attend and _celebrate_," He said the word with great distaste. "Get married the week after and be rid ourselves of the alteans the next day. It's simple. Just make sure that you _don't_ mess _up_." His voice was stern, glaring daggers at the prince.

He had been planning this ever since Lotor was born, to take over Altea by 'uniting' them. It was just as he had said. Dark days will loom over kingdoms, they will triumph in battles and conquer lands as far as they eye could see. His plan was fool proof. It also helped that the altean prince was gullible and childish, accepting the engagement since he learned what the word meant.

"Yes, yes, I know." Lotor said with a sigh, still playing with his food.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Outside was less gloomy, unlike the dining room. It wasn't sunny, but the grey clouds that were up hiding the sky were peaceful and merciful enough to let a few stray sun rays hit the ground. Oddly enough, it didn't seem like it would rain.

It's the weather that Cam liked the most. It wasn't sunny enough to be hot but it wasn't so cold as to wear too many layers. The wind blew softly as his ebony hair went with it, pushing it out of his face. He stood facing the wind for another moment, basket in hand and resting on his hip before going back inside.

He set down the wood from the basket by the fireplace, along with the last of the straw that he had collected into the grinding room by the small kitchen.

Where he was wasn't much, but it was enough. There were three doors on three stone walls by each other. The first door led to the inside of the Galra castle. The second on the wall by it led to the outside where the stalls were kept down the small hill.

The third door led to a room where they grinded straw to make flower for bread and cakes and tasty goods. A very small window in the far corner of the room showed the outside world where a big wooden wheel was spinning from the small lake under it.

In the kitchen were two more windows, both bigger and closer to the second door but one on the third wall and the other on the second one. The river could be seen clearer there and if you looked at your left you'd find a small shelter where wood was stacked up.

The kitchen itself wasn't much. A wooden table was in the middle of the stone room, a fireplace between the window and the door on the third wall. Cabinets were placed around it for storage of food or blankets and a drawer with a broken mirror was placed in the middle of the second wall.

It's where Cam would go in the mornings to freshen up and brush his hair, confirming he was presentable enough before leaving his small home.

Home.

It's something he longed for, his dark violet eyes dancing around the place, taking in every detail that he could. There was a crack on the wall by the fireplace, a cobweb was etched between the first and forth wall, the curtains of the window were filled with holes and had raggedy edges, the rug he'd sleep on by the fireplace was dusty and old.

This is the only home he'd known. And he'd grown attached to it, no matter how much he disliked it.

He planned on leaving the castle once he had enough money and food. He'd leave at night when almost everyone was asleep. He'd explore the world, see it's wonders and what it has to offer. Climb the mountains and cross the seas, looking for something he didn't know. He'd climb the trees in the jungles, dance around on sand by the water then sit down on the highest tree he could find to watch the sunset in peaceful silence.

It's wasn't as though he disliked anyone here, it was quite the opposite really. As his kitchen was small, it was mostly used by the stable boys and a few of the gardeners. They didn't stay much, an hour and a half at most only to get back to work. They'd usually come for lunch as Cam would've already had either a pot brewing or bread baking in the fire. Sometimes, however, they'd come to just see him and talk.

Some of them were friends with his mother and they grew up influencing his life in almost every possible way. Some were like brothers, usually the younger ones, others like uncles and fathers and grandfathers, but those were limited as only two more men worked here who were of old age.

The kitchen was also an easy access to the castle instead of walking around to the entry way. Many of the servants would come to pass into the outside world through the small kitchen. Cam paid them no mind.

He didn't care who went and who came as long as they didn't disturb him too much. Most days he'd be here in his small kitchen, either tending to the fire or cooking food for the workers to come or just sitting there with his three companions.

A mouse, a dove and a rooster.

Odd choice of friends, yes, but he didn't mind. He was an odd one too. He'd talk to them and they'd listen. The rooster would sometimes be in his own mind, plucking away at the ants and seeds on the ground. The dove was a beautiful thing, her feathers white and shining, but she'd sometimes leave when it got too dark outside. The mouse was the only one that stayed, never leaving his side. Almost like he was his guardian.

They'd sometimes put on small shows for Cam when he was feeling down or just angry with the prince. The shows always happened at night under the light of a candle. He'd sit at the head of the table, his three odd friends in front of him and the candle behind at the far end. The rooster would act like a dragon - he thought - the dove a princess and the mouse a knight. He'd tear a small pinprick from the wooden table and use it as a sword. The boy didn't know how, but the mouse had amazing sword skills.

Other times they'd do a funny act where they all tumbled and fell and stacked on top of each other with flips and jumps. It would either make Cam smile a little or laugh till his stomach ached. Sometimes even he would join in on those little games at night before sleep, jumping around and singing songs, dancing and going to balls and wearing beautiful dresses and suits.

Cam would turn his old rags and messy hair into the most beautiful gowns and silky ebony hair, adorned with golden ornaments and silver rings on his fingers.

But those nights when he didn't feel the energy and excitement, he'd curl up in front of the fire with his three odd friends, all under a blanket and sit with his back pressed against the legs of a chair. He'd tell stories he'd made up, dreams he dreamt or sing his song.

The song his mother used to sing him before sleep. He memorized it when he was young before his mother passed away, remembered every word and every note and when he felt the most lonely, he'd sing it. It made him feel like his mother was here in the grinding room, humming the tune with him as she worked with the seeds while he was in his small kitchen, tending to the fire.

He wouldn't even notice his tears falling until his friends nudged him or wiped his cheeks. He'd apologize and smile, hugging them close and staring into the fire in comfortable silence.

Yes, that's how some nights went. But it's not night now. Rather, it was the middle of the day with grey clouds and breezy winds. He smiled in his seat at the table when he saw his three odd friends come from the grinding room.

"Good morning, sleepy heads." He greeted them.

The dove flew up to his shoulder and sat down, enjoying his dark fluffy hair against her feathers. The rooster clucked away at the few fallen corn seeds on the ground and the mouse frowned, stepping by the leg of the table with his arms crossed. Cam chuckled softly and swept him off the ground, the dove on his shoulder flying up and shuffling her feathers from the sudden movement.

"You know I'm up since dawn, right?" The mouse asked, still frowning in the hand of the galran boy.

He chuckled softly. "Of course I know, Shiro. You're always up protecting me." He patted the head of the mouse.

"I wouldn't forgive myself if I wasn't, your highness." He said in a firm tone, standing to attention like a solder.

Now the dove giggled. "Oh Shiro, you're too stiff! Lighten up a little." She hid her small smile behind her wing.

"Allura's - ouf!" The rooster began, climbing up the chair and onto the table, but failing as he fell back down on the seat. He jumped again, fluttering his feathers and stood on the table. "Right, Shiro. You do need to loosen up a bit." He smiled brightly.

The mouse just sighed, shaking his head. Cam chuckled again and smiled at his odd friend's bickering.

Thunder softly rumbled out in the distance, beyond the mountains. White flashes flickered like a candle as a strong breeze blew by, rattling the curtains from the windows.

The conversation paused for a moment, each one of the four friends turning heads in their seats to look at the sky above from the window.

Cam huffed. "Looks like it's gonna rain after all."


	2. Chapter 2

And rain it did that night as Cam sat curled up with his three odd friends in front of the blazing fire. The windows were shut and the doors locked as the droplets tapped onto the glass. It wasn't as frightening as it may seem. Cam had company for one and on the other hand they kept a small conversation going on.

"Don't be silly, Coran." Allura said, snuggling more into the thin blanket. "Junibarries smell better than any flower."

"Yes, but roses are most romantic!" The rooster crowed as he puffed out his chest.

"Well, I think lilies are the most beautiful." Shiro cut in, his hands in fists around the blanket as he held it tightly wrapped over his body.

"What about you, Cam?" Allura asked, staring up at the galran boy.

He seemed to be in a daze, staring at the fire, mesmerized by its raging flames. His pupils were distant as the bright light was reflected on them - like a star on the dark sky. Allura hopped out of the blanket and flew in front of his face.

His eyes focused and his head snapped up, staring at the dove. "What? What is it?" He asked.

"I asked what is your favourite flower, Cam." She answered, lowering herself to the ground.

The boy looked at all three of his friends, locking eyes with each one before staring down in his lap. He thought for a moment before he lifted his head and answered. "Lavenders." He stated, resting his head on his knee once again.

"Lavenders?" Allura asked, looking at the others with a questioning gaze before staring up at Cam again. "Have you ever seen lavenders before? Do they smell nice?" She asked again.

"No, I don't know." The galran boy answered simply, his head going up as it was still resting on his knee, his messy hair bouncing slightly.

"Then why would you choose lavenders?" This time, Shiro asked, his small hand resting on Cam's bigger one.

He sat, quiet for a moment. "My mom liked them." He finally answered, earning sad gazes from his companions. He continued on staring into the fire. "She tried to describe them to me once. Said they have a strong smell, but it was gentle in a way. Said they were purple in color, but I still think that they're blue."

"Because of the song?" Coran asked, his eyes sparkling from the flames.

Cam chuckled. "A little bit, yes." He smiled softly, humming the tune to said song. "She used to sing it to me every night."

"We know." The mouse said with a fond, nostalgic smile. "We were there too, you know."

The boy smiled. "I know." He hugged his friends tight, they doing the best they can to hug him just as much. "I miss her." He said quietly, voice breaking.

"We all do, highness" Shiro said, comforting the boy the best he could. The other chuckled at that.

"Still going with those nicknames." He wiped his eyes from the unshed tears.

"You know we've called you that since birth, majesty." Allura smirked. If she had hips, her wings would be resting on them.

Cam giggled. He could always count on his three odd friends to make him feel better on a stormy night like this. He yawned, his hand going up to his face to cover his mouth.

"You should sleep, Cam." Shiro said, pulling the blanket down - as if that would bring the other down too.

"Okay, okay." The galran boy smiled again at the mouse; always the caregiver, always the guardian.

They all laid down, curling into each other for as much warmth as possible. "Good night, guys." Cam muttered, his lids dropping.

"Goodnight, highness." Shiro muttered back, laying down by the boy's head, Coran at the top of it and Allura laying on top of the rooster.

But even as they said their goodnight's and even if his body was aching from the day's work, Cam just couldn't fall asleep. He'd been trying to for almost an hour and a half but no luck. He sighed and opened his eyes. The fire had mostly gone out, only a few embers still glowing with life.

He sighed and sat up slowly, draping the blanket over the three sleeping bodies gently. He stood and walked to the window on the second wall, opening it slowly and gazing out.

He listened as the rain stopped, he listened as the fire died down, he listened to his friends' even breathing. He listened as the soft breeze blew by making him shiver. He looked up at the sky and saw the stars in it. Has the sky ever had this many?

He didn't care. He was glad to be enjoying this peaceful moment. He looked down at the glistening grass, droplets of rain still coating it. It looked like it was trying to reflect the sky. He looked up at the heavens again and just stared. Wishing be could grow wings and just fly off. Wishing he could touch the clouds. Wishing for a better life than this.

With a sigh, he closed his window and went to bed, preparing himself for a sleepless night.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

"Pleasure doing business with you, ma'am!" The farmer said, turning around and counting his gold.

The market was crowded that day, people buzzing and bustling about their business and what to buy and what to sell. The bakery had goods on display that would fill up your nose and make you drool; the tailor had silk and leather and all kinds of materials to make someone look and feel like a king; the jewelry shop was glistening in the morning sun, bating young children and women to come and take a peak.

Cam was walking by, the vegetables he bought from the farmer in his basket in hand. He walked over to the next stand, looking at the fresh tomatoes and corn. He didn't mind going to the markets from time to time. Sure, they were always crowded, but people minded their own business, walking around him and trying not to bump into each other.

He was humming his song as he walked past the jewelry store, something shining in the corner of his eye. He stopped and turned to look. He was by the window, about thirty centimeters away from it. What caught his eye was a beautiful head jewel, almost like a crown.

It was placed on a wooden mannequin head painted white, an emerald stone on the center of its forehead. The gold wrapped around the stone like waves, bringing it to be the center of attention. More of the gold was wrapped around the head, keeping it in place. A few more white quartz' were placed on each side of the extended string, giving it a perfectly symmetrical view.

Cam saw his reflection in the window. The mannequin was placed at just his height, his face fitting the proportions of it. The jewel sparkled in the sun light; inviting him to try it on, see how it looks.

He imagined himself wearing the jewel as he sat in a throne up in a castle somewhere far away. He saw servants moving around him, cleaning, baking, making him new outfits. And he was enjoying it all, greeting each and every one of those servants and thanking them for their work. They'd bow and smile then carry on.

"Would yeh like t'try it, miss?" He was snapped back to harsh reality as he turned and looked at the shop owner.

He looked like a kind man, probably in his late forties with droopy eyes and grey hairs. He was standing by the shop's door, a hand up on the frame, to steady himself probably.

Cam waved him off. "No no, I'm just looking around." He said, his pitch higher.

"Oh but I'm sure it'll fit yeh wha' with such a pre'y face and all tha'." He smiled kindly and Cam got flustered a little at the comment.

"Thank you, but I don't have any money to buy it." He looked down at his basket then back at the shop keeper. "Well, not nearly as much."

"Such a shame." The owner said, his head going down. "It's one of me best works, yeh kno'." He looked back up again and smiled fondly at it. "Me wife made the design." He boasted, pride swelling up in his chest.

The galran boy smiled a little. "Then you are lucky to have a wife with such a vivid imagination. It's a beautiful jewel." He said, staring longingly through the window. If he could only have enough money to buy it.

"I'll hold onto it fer yeh." The shop keeper said after a moment of silence. Cam looked at him in shock.

"What?" He asked. "But what if someone else wants to buy it? They'd pay more anyway." He said looking down to the side.

"Maybe, but they'd prob'bly throw it away with all the other jewe'ry they got." The owner said, looking to the side as well.

Cam looked at him then snorted. "It might take a while.. but I will buy it." He said with confidence.

"Thank you, lass." He said with a soft smile. "I make d'ese jewels for peop'l who will apprecia'e 'em. And yeh look like yeh would."

Cam smiled kindly in return. "Of course I would, sir." He turned to look through the window. "Nothing like this deserves to be thrown away." He muttered then looked back at the shop keeper, smile growing wide.

"Thank yeh again, lass." The other sighed. "It's hard t'find people who apprecia'e hard work d'ese days." The bell rung in the shop, indicating someone went in. "If you'll excuse meh." Cam nodded his goodbye. He knew how it felt when people didn't appreciate what you did for them.

"Well, he was a nice man." Shiro popped out from the side of Cam's hood, staring up at the side of the boy's face.

The other just hummed, walking along the market. He felt a little bad for the old man. He didn't know why he even promised to buy the jewel when he hardly had enough money to buy something to wear. All they ever gave him money for at the castle was for food. All the clothes he has are passed down from his mother to him, all the blankets he'd use were to be thrown away, some weren't even blankets but curtains.

But he didn't care. Soon he'd leave the castle, leave this place - this stupid kingdom and go on his own path.

He walked a little more around the markets till he reached the square. He sat down on the fountain at the center, looking at all the galran people that passed by. Kids dragging their mothers around, young couples in love, old couples enjoying what life has to offer for them for the last time.

He sighed and looked down in his basket. Somewhere along the way he had bought a few more vegetables and a small piece of bread from the bakery. He knew he didn't need to buy much since the castle had it made fresh every morning, but he didn't eat before he went out so this was a valid excuse.

He ripped a piece from the bread and began to eat, secretly giving some to Shiro too. They sat like that, eating in silence, his hood up. He looked up at the sky. It was clear except for those few stray clouds that wondered about. They were going at a slow pace, drifting aimlessly without a care in the world.

Sometimes Cam wished that he could be a cloud. He'd go wherever the wind carried him, see places from new perspectives, rain down on people just for the fun of it. He chuckled a little to himself. Wouldn't that be interesting.

He was startled when a trumpet blew from the bridge. He turned his head and looked at the messenger on his white horse, paper in hand and the trumpet under his arm.

"Hear ye! Hear ye!" He said - well, more like yelled. The galran boy stood up and walked over to where the crowed was gathered around the messenger. "The prince of the Galra empire would like to announce an annual ball to celebrate his engagement with prince Lance Christopher McClain of Altea! This union shall bring together both kingdoms in truce and they shall rule with peace for many decades to come. The ball shall be held in two days time, not counting today, in the kingdom of Altea! The ball shall begin from early morning till midnight! Come and help with the celebration! Spread the word! The Prince is getting married!" Cheers erupted from everyone in the crowds, from all but one.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

"Welcome back, highness!" Allura said as she flocked her wings. Coran looked up from the ground where he was picking at ants. "How'd your shopping go?" She asked with what seemed to be a smile.

"Well, I suppose." Cam said, sitting down on the chair, basket in front of him.

He was quiet, Allura noticed. The boy would usually be beaming when he came back from the markets, complain about the people there and show what he bought. It intrigued her to see him so... low.

But before she could ask anything, Shiro spoke up. "A messenger from the castle came to the markets." And that was all the information the other two needed.

They've been hearing whispers around the castle about the announcement but they didn't think it would happen this soon.

The three odd friends looked at each other then back at Cam. They knew this was hard on him - the engagement to be exact. You see, the galran boy knew that the engagement was bound to happen later even if it didn't years ago.

Uniting the kingdoms was something spoken about for decades and it was finally time to do it. It just so happens that he would live through that unity. It also just so happens that he knows the prince of Altea on a personal level. Let's start from the beginning.

Ever since birth, Cam was taught to act like a lady. He would wear dresses, grow his hair long, raise his voice at a high pitch like a girl's. He had asked his mother a thousand and one times 'why?' but she would just change the subject. He soon dropped the questions all together because other ones arrived.

Why was an Altean boy always coming to the castle every other summer? He'd once spied on the prince and the Altean boy to see what was happening but he was caught by another one. He was taller than him, older probably too, but he had a kind face and a bright smile. The boy introduced himself as Hunk.

He talked non stop while Cam continued to spy on 'prince Lance', as he learned the name from Hunk. The Altean prince was something else. He was told stories that the prince was harsh and annoying and hard to handle, but all he looked like to Cam was bored. Lotor had kept on talking and talking as they walked around the garden.

All of a sudden, Hunk had made a 'Psst!' sound that grabbed Lance's attention. The Altean prince turned to see that it was his best friend hiding behind some bushes, calling him over. The boy smirked and sneaked off away from Lotor while he continued talking.

"Thanks for the save." He had said then sat staring at Cam. He had never seen such a small galra in his life. He commented on the other's height which earned him a hiss and glare in return.

They all went off to the small kitchen after that, getting something to eat and causing mischief around the castle. Lotor was furious once he finally noticed that Lance was gone - which made for a very funny joke among the three new friends.

And so it happened like this every summer. Lance would come over with Hunk and play with Keith as they tried to avoid Lotor and the boring lectures on courting and marriage and ruling the kingdoms. Of course, there were times when they couldn't escape the wrath of the Galran prince but that was just all part of the fun.

Sometimes they'd stay up all night, other times sleep in a pile before sunset. They would go to the gardens and kitchens and ballroom and dance and laugh and enjoy their day.

They'd help his mother out with the baking, the cleaning (even though they kept telling the other two not to) and sometimes they'd bake by themselves. Well, Hunk would bake more or less. The other two would help him for the first five minutes then go off to do their own thing in the kitchen. Hunk, though he was young, bailed wonderful cookies and sweets and all that sugary goodness.

'It's because he comes from a line of brilliant chefs!' Lance would boast and Hunk would blush.

But some nights they'd stay in Cam's small kitchen by the fire, all wrapped in a big blanket. Hunk would be asleep, Lance and Cam staring at the dancing flames in silence.

He'd hum his mother's song sometimes and smile at the way Lance's eye lids swayed with exhaustion. The prince would rest his head on the smaller boy's and drift off to sleep at his voice. Those nights where the ones that Cam cherished the most, where he'd keep them locked in his heart forever. He had wished that he could have this moment for every night.

So, one day, Cam made a decision. He was eleven now and he thought that it would be a good time to reveal the truth about himself to Lance. He contemplated it all summer. He knew Lance was kind hearted and that he would understand. He knew him well enough to tell his secret.. right?

He pulled him to the side the night before the Altean prince and his companion were to leave. He shut the door to the grinding room and sighed. He knew questions would rise up from Lance, and they did, mostly ones like 'Why isn't Hunk here?' and 'What's going on?'.

Swiftly, Cam had turned around and explained everything to him: about him pretending to be a girl - talking in his normal voice, mind you - about what his mother had told him.

He didn't get the reaction he expected though. Lance burst out of - what? Anger? Betrayal? Disgust? Out of something. He stepped out of the grinding room, telling Cam to never show his lying face in from of him again, slamming the door behind him.

The latter had dropped down on the floor, his tears falling freely down his cheeks. He had never felt such pain in his life.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Lance never came back after that. But it seemed that fate wasn't finished with her game yet. Only a few weeks later, just after his birthday, his mother got ill.

He tended to her as much as he could; but what can an eleven year old do? She passed away before the new year, Cam having to spend it alone in a corner with tear stains and a broken voice.

Only Lotor ever went to visit Lance after that. He didn't know if the prince was taking care of himself properly, if he was sick or if he had replaced him already.

That last thought broke Cam even if he's had it since they parted. He knew he could never get over the prince. He's never had such a friend as him. Those small moments they shared, the songs they'd sing, the secret looks they'd share - does the prince do them with everyone?

He placed his head down on his crossed arms on the table, silent tears and whispering sobs escaping out in the open. What time was this him crying?

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Far away from the stormy clouds that were gathering over the Galra Empire, the sun was shining brightly over the Altean castle.

Servants of all kinds were running around - cleaning the stairs, the walls, the floor; polishing the furniture and decor; dusting the curtains and all the corners.

Busy, busy, busy was the castle, bustling and buzzing and all the sorts. It's didn't help that the little royals were running around as well, but at least their parents kept them in place. What no one could tame was the king-to-be. That's right -

"Lance!" Hunk yelled after his friend, pausing to take a breath.

The poor guy had been running around the whole castle, flipping everything and everyone inside out and upside down, trying to find the prince. Right now, he found himself in the gardens where the boarder between the castle and the forest met. He knew if he couldn't find the prince anywhere inside then he'd be out practicing with his bow.

"Lan-" He was cut off by an arrow shooting from the trees. It hit right between his feet, startling him. His head shot up, looking through the leaves and branches. "I know it's you, Lance." The man deadpanned, staring where the arrow came from.

"But are you sure?" The voice asked, the grin could so easily be heard in it.

"Lance." Hunk said again, the arrow now in his hand. "I know your voice and know this is your arrow." It was true.

Many of his teachers told him to chose a more... camouflaged weapon, but the prince stood his ground. He's as stubborn as a mule; some would say. Though his style (as he himself would say) was excellent. His bow was painted a pearly white with it's ends curved in an elegant arch, thin, curvy royal blue lines spawning from the center where there was a pale blue jewel where the tip of an arrow was supposed to be placed when taking aim. The arrows themselves where white, a diamond shape at the end of it instead of feathers. A blue line in the center of it. It would be hard to mistake the weapon with someone else's.

"Fine." The leaves rustled for a second before a hand moved some of them out of the way. An unimpressed and bored look emerged in its place - the prince, to be exact. "What?"

"Don't 'what' me. You know exactly why I'm here." Hunk said, his brows pinched, but his expression held no malice.

"Ughhhhh!" The prince groaned, taking his hand away from the branch he'd been pushing aside, said branch failing back into place. He was out of sight again.

"Lance." Again, Hunk said sternly.

"Listen, Hunk, you know me." Lance said, popping his head put slightly from the leaves. "As much as I live for fancy parties and dresses, I'm not really up for this one."

"He's your fiance."

"He's boring." Hunk sighed. There was just no getting through to him.

Yet, a fond smile found it's way onto his lips. If you were to ask him if he wanted to change his job, he'd deny everytime. Lance might have been a handful at times, but even he knew when was enough. He can be mature if he wanted, when I was needed; he can stand straight and wave politely; he can smile gently and help others; he can make people laugh when they are down and bring them back up to their feet; he can study and learn, be taught and teach; he can be the most elegant being that excited on the planet.

But even he had to let loose - which was more than he actually needed to. And usually, that 'letting loose' was combined with the words 'Lotor' or 'fiance'.

Now, Hunk here is the sweetest of sweethearts. He likes everyone and everything and get along with everyone and everything. Unlike Lance, he didn't have people who hated him much nor he who hated them. But he had to agree on one thing with the prince: they both did not like Lotor. And as much as he wished this was one those predicaments they could get out of when they were kids, he had no say in the matter. It had been already decided since the moment Lance was born.

"Yeah, and a bit creepy, too. Scary is also another good word." Hunk mumbled the last part to himself.

"I thought you were the head guard, Hunk-Hunk?" Lance stated teasingly.

"I'm allowed to be scared, thank you very much." The big guy placed a hand on his chest, turning slightly to the side, showing - what Lance would say - attitude.

The prince laughs at his best friend, the latter smiling. He was happy he could make Lance laugh like that. Carefree. He was upset he was going to have to stop that laugh too.

"Come on." Hunk said, gesturing with his hand for Lance to come down. "We gotta get you to the fitting."

The prince's brows lowered at that, his expression turning into something darker. It wasn't aimed at his friend, he could never be mad at him. It was aimed at the fact that his friend was sent to get him to do something he didn't want to.

He pulled his head away, disappearing back into the branches. Hunk sighed and called out for him again, this time getting no response. With another heave of breath, he started walking into the forest, a lazy pinch between his brows and his eyes half lidded, a small frown on his lips. He was doing this for Lance's own good, he tried to remind himself.

"Come on, Lance." He called after a few minutes of walking.

He knew where to go because of the fact that Lance wasn't being as quiet as usual. When he would stray from the path the prince was going, the latter would rustle the branches in the trees to indicate where he should be going. As much as Hunk trusted his friend, though, it felt like he was going in circles. He swore he passed that tree twice before.

"Where are we even going?" He asked, looking up at the rustling trees.

"We're almost there so stop complaining." Lance replied, Hunk heaving a sigh.

The prince dropped down then, a smile on his face as he gestured for his friend to follow. They took a few more steps and stopped, Lance turning to smile at his friend once more before pulling a few bushes away from in front of them.

The sight took Hunk's breath away.

It was close to sundown, the sky painted with warm yellows, oranges and some red around the corners. Dark blue followed those reds, the soft rays of the sun caressing both their faces. In front of the sky were the dark mountains, covered by shadows. Fields where farmers worked on were next, the river splitting the kingdom in two but never truly parting it. The houses were following up closely, completing the picture along with the castle to their far right. Blue florescent street lights shone, almost like a mirror reflecting the sky, predicting what it would look like. Truly was this a beautiful picture.

"Lance, this is..." Hunk began, stepping slightly more out of the bush.

There were a few flowers scattered about on the edge of the cliff right after the bushes. There was enough room for fifteen people on the edge - give of take. Which meant Hunk could step out and get a better view of the kingdom and people he had sworn to protect but he didn't want to ruin the image.

"Is this were you disappear to?" Hunk asked, turning towards Lance and giving him a soft look.

"Usually, yeah." He answered, gave not leaving the sight.

They stayed in silence, a comfortable one, as Hunk turned his head back to the view. He could understand why the prince would come here. It was very calming and the soft noise that the people made down there was a calming background sound. Faint, but still there, reminding you that you weren't alone.

"This is the reason."

"Hm?" Hunk turned to the other, raising a brow.

"Why I don't wanna marry Lotor." He finally turned to the guard, locking eyes. Hunk's mouth made an 'oh' shape as Lanxe chuckled and turned his gaze back to the kingdom. "I'd miss this." He began. "I won't be able to go out as much, enjoy the trees and the views and the water and the mountains and just... this." He gestured to the scene up front. "It'll literally be like living in a cage."

Hunk stayed silent, letting the words slowly sink in. He knew that his friend was hurting because of the marriage but 'knowing' and 'hearing' are two completely different things.

"Maybe it won't be so bad." Lanxe gave him a blank look. "Come on, you always look on the bright side of things!"

"Yeah, to make other people happy. It's my job as the prince to make sure that they don't think a situation is hopeless."

"I'll tell you one thing right now Lance, and that's that you don't do it because you're a prince." He placed a hand on the other's shoulder. "You do it because you're Lance." A soft smile. "So why not do it now." A statement, not a question.

The prince sighed, looking down. He locked his eyes with his besg friend and smiled softly in return.

"Now let's go back before your mother has my head." Lance chuckled, nodding as Hunk left towards the forest. He looked at the sunset one last time before disappearing behind the bushes.


	3. Chapter 3

"What do you think the ball will be like?" Cam asked the day of, his chin resting on his palm. He was sitting at the head of the table, his three odd friends eating the freshly cooked corn.

"Well," Allura began. "It will be grand, that's for sure." The other two nodded in agreement. "There will be a lot of decorations, since it's Lance we're talking about." Cam had to agree with that too. The guy loved going the extra mile.

"Guards would stand all around the castle," Shiro continued. "Two at the side of the king and queen at the throne-"

"And music would play as ballgowns twirl around the room!" Coran cut in with his beak full of corn. The garlan boy chuckled, patting the rooster on the head.

He sat there, staring at his companions as they talked about random things. He let his mind wonder to the ball tomorrow. It has been a while since he has been to one. He remembered when he went to a town party when he was little. He was too young to remember the whole ordeal but the flashes of his mother and him dancing at the side were clear as day.

The music could be heard all around the Garla Empire. He didn't really understand what they were celebrating, but he was having fun so why did it matter? There were baked goods on long tables beside the river bank. He remembered this because somewhere before sundown, a man stumbled into one of said tables, falling into the river along with the food and object. He was lucky the river was shallow otherwise he would've been drowning. When he asked his mother 'what happened', she told him that the man was having a bit too much fun. Boy was she right.

"Cam?" He was snapped back to attention by Allura, her feathers ruffled out of irritation.

"Sorry, what?" He asked, removing the hand from under his chin and crossing both on the table.

"I asked if you would like to go to the ball?" She repeated her question. Cam snickered at that.

"Me?" He placed a hand on his chest, a look of laughable disbelief on his face.

"I'm not talking to Shiro." She replied.

"There's no way someone like me can go to an engagement ball." He said. "Lotor won't even let me near the ballroom when they're having a party. Besides, I'd be recognized." He looked down at his crossed hands, his face falling.

His three odd friends shared a sad look before an idea popped into Allura's head.

"Not unless you turn.~" She slurred her words, smirking at Cam from the corner of her eye. The boy looked at her, confused for a second. His eyes suddenly widened at the realization of what she was talking about.

"No. No no no - they would still recognize me!" He protested. "And besides, I haven't turned in a while." He slumped onto the table.

"True, but no one knows how you look like when you do turn." Her smirk remained.

Cam just started at her, his brows in a lazy pinch. He was too tired to actually attempt to glare at her properly. The bird just smiled back at him.

"You know," She started again. "If I was human, I would wear the prettiest dress. It would be white and it would have blue detailing. Pink lace and golden accessories."

"I'd wear armor." Shiro chimed in, keeping his eyes on the cheese in his hands. "I'd be a knight in all black with some white details maybe."

"My main color would be blue!" And there was Coran, plucking away at the corn on the table. "Of course I'd have some white splotches here and there, some gold maybe, but I'm sticking with blue."

Cam smiled a little. He liked these little conversations they had. The harsh but hopeful ones.

"What about you, highness?" Allura turned to him again.

The galran boy sat there for a moment. The dove needn't repeat her question, she knew he heard her - she saw the thoughtful look on his face. His eyes skimmed the room, thinking of the dress he'd wear to a ball he could never go.

"I'd wear..." He trailed off, thinking hard about the details on his dress. "Something red... probably... Maybe purple.. or blue..." He mumbled to himself. "It was mother's favorite color..."

He didn't care what he'd wear if he was being honest. What he wanted most was to see the prince. Hell, he could be naked as long as he could lock eyes with him again.

"It doesn't matter, though." He murmured, resting his chin on his hand again, staring with a blank expression. "I told you before and I'll tell you again: there's no way someone like me can go to a ball. It doesn't fit the 'standards'." He quoted.

"There's always a chance, Cam." Allura assured, placing her wing over his palm.

They fell into a silence. The atmosphere was weighing down, almost like rocks over their shoulders. Now don't get him wrong, the yalran boy liked silence. It was peaceful and calming - it gave him a chance to just be with himself.

But this silence was too much. It made him nervous and it filled his head with all sorts of thoughts - ones that shouldn't even be spawning.

He began to subtly bite his lip from the inside. It was a nervous habit that only those who were constantly staring would notice. Or those who knew him well. So, in order to stop this act of nervousness, Shiro stepped in with a request.

"Sing for us Cam?" He asked, giving the boy the option to decline if he wanted to. The other smiled softly at the mouse, appreciating him trying to lighten the mood.

He opened his mouth, preparing to answer the question, when a maid knocked on the door. The three odd friends quickly scurried off into hiding - Shiro in a hole in the wall, Allura out the window and Coran in the grinding room.

"Cam?" The girl asked, her eyes scanning the room.

"Yes?" Cam got out of his chair, taking a step away from it with a hand still on the table.

"All hands on deck, come on." She left the door opened so she stepped to the side to let the boy pass.

The galran sighed and went after her, giving the room one last quick glance with a silent apology to his friends before he left. A few quiet minutes later, the three slowly crept back into the room, looking around to make sure that they were really alone.

They sighed and went back to the table, Allura picking Shiro up from the ground and Coran jumping from over the chair.

"I hate this." Shiro complained, nibbling on the corn left on the table.

"It won't be long, Shiro." The dove assured, smiling to herself.

"Righto!" Coran's voice beamed with enthusiasm. "We've waited nineteen years, I think we can wait a few more hours!"

"Let's just hope nothing happens till the ball." The mouse said with his mouth full.

"Speaking of which.." Allura smirked the best she could with her beak.

"Oh no, we can't risk it! Besides, you heard him - fat chance we could go." The other only rolled her eyes at the glare being sent her way.

"Oh, bite me!" She whined. "We are getting him to the ball! It could be his only chance." She said in a softer tone.

Shiro sighed. He knew that - he just didn't want to risk it for Cam's sake. Lotor wasn't well known for his mercy, if he even had some.

"Then how do you propose we get him there?" The mouse asked, sitting down in front of the other two. "How would a mouse, a dove and a chicken-"

"-rooster!- PCHAW!"

"-get a galran to a ball that's an hour away?" He side eyed Coran, smiling slyly before turning back to Allura, the seriousness returning.

She sat there, thinking. She knew that their size would cause a problem with her plan, but now that someone had said it out loud, it truly seemed impossible.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Elsewhere in the castle, all the servants were running around like busy bees. The chefs were preparing traditional galran cuisines, the cleaners dusting and washing all the furniture, the gardeners polishing all the flowers and bushes and trees.

Why were they doing this, Cam did not know for the ball was going to be held in Altea. It seemed as though the royals were only doing this just to see others working their arms off for them. Sometimes this was the case, but apparently not now.

It seemed as though there was a reason but no one knew what exactly that reason was. It was probably stupid, in Cam's opinion. Currently, he was in the cleaning department, no doubt Lotor's idea. The guy hated his guts.

He was scrubbing the floor of the main hall when another servant, Nyma, walked passed him. "We're finished, ask the prince what else needs to be cleaned once you're done. We're going on break." 'Finished my ass,' Cam thought. They just wanted him to do all the work.

Everyone at the Galra castle knew that when the royals gave an order, death would follow if it wasn't carried out till the end. Now, obviously that was a little exaggerated, but death would be mercy if such a thing ever happened.

He braced himself for long hours of work, going faster to finish as soon as he can. He still kept an eye on the floors though, making sure not to miss anything.

As he was going over the other servants parts, he noticed that they didn't do as bad as he has thought. It wasn't great but it was still something. Less work for him.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Honestly, he did a good job, even if he said so himself.

The floors looked spotless, the carpet dusted properly and the vases, stools and small stands could almost shine (if he gave a damn enough to care). He was sure the royals would find something wrong and out of order, but at least the place looked clean and tidy.

He clapped his hands to get some of the dust off of them then cleaned his face as best he could. He had to look at least a little presentable, even if he didn't want to.

He took the bucket with the dirty water and left to the nearest window, looking down before dumping the water outside. He forced himself to make this a habit after that one incident when a servant dumped the water over the prince when he was younger. Let's just say that the servant hasn't been seen since.

He walked towards the throne room where the royals usually were. He placed the bucket on the side where a guard was standing, weapon in hand. They'd looked like statues if you didn't pay much attention.

He stood in the middle of the doors, the guards moving to open them. Not paying them mind, Cam walked on, passing the small hallway in short strides before reaching a door and knocking twice. It opened before he placed his hand down, seeing the prince in the center talking with a servant - or better said, giving them orders.

"What do you want?" Lotor asked, not glancing up from the papers in his hands.

"We have finished cleaning the main hallway, sire." Cam said in a steady voice, gaze and head low as he bowed slightly. Out of obligation, not respect.

"Polished the floors?" The prince asked, finally looking up as he dismissed the servant.

"Yes."

"Cleaned the carpet?"

"Yes."

"Dusted the furniture?"

"Yes."

"Cleaned and watered the flowers?"

"... No, sir."

"Took down the curtains and washed them?"

"No, sir."

"Cleaned and dusted the artwork and frames?"

"No, sir."

"Then you are yet to finish, now are you?" Lotor smirked, looking down at his papers again.

"No, sir." He barely held in grinding his teeth down on the prince.

"Then back to work."

The doors on the other end of the hallway opened, Zarkon walking through them. Cam stepped aside, bowing. Again, out of obligation, not respect. The king didn't even acknowledge he was there, like he was passing air.

"Excuse me." Cam said when he felt Zarkon stare at him. He grabbed both doors, the servants on each one letting him close them.

He pulled them close, hearing them click. Turning, he started to walk away when he heard whispered and hushed voices. He looked back seeing the doors weren't fully closed. He went to close them properly when he heard what the royals were talking about.

"When is the poison coming?" It was prince asking.

"A few days time. We shall have it then." Zarkon said.

"About time. I can't wait to end this."

Cam furrowed his brows, wondering what they were talking about.

"Twenty years, father. It's been going on for twenty years."

"Stop complaining. You can wait half a day more."

The galran's eyes widened, thinking it impossible that they were talking about Lance. Quickly, he stepped as fast and as quietly as he could away from the door. He gently closed the doors behind him, letting out a low sigh as he went to pick up his bucket.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

The door to the kitchen burst open as the three odd friends turned to look at the panting galran.

"We need to go to the ball." He said, closing the door behind him harshly.

"What, why?" Shiro asked, sitting up straighter. "I thought we agreed that we wouldn't-"

"The royals are gonna kill Lance." Cam said, sitting down in front of the three. The latters were speechless.

".. Are you sure?" Now Allura asked, great concern shining from her eyes.

"I overheard them talking about poison and waiting twenty years." He began explaining. "Zarkon said about waiting half a day more. That means today. The day of the ball."

The three odd friends thought. They trusted Cam, had known him his whole life and they never saw him do something without any good intention - granted, in his own, weird way - but still. This was quite a stretch. Or so other people would've thought. It was plausible, in a sense. The evidence was there, you just had to look. It was vague, maybe, but they had witnessed it even on the first day of Lance's arrival.

The galran prince never paid much attention to the altean, even though he still got mad when he (finally) noticed when the prince would disappear.

He only ever talked about the kingdoms uniting and never really got to know the other as a person. There were a few shady moments also, where Lotor would look like he wanted to strangle Lance or just plain out remove him from existence.

It seemed he would be getting his wish very, very soon.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Allura asked, great concern in her voice and eyes.

"Yes, I'm positive." Cam replied, looking like a desperate, kicked puppy. They all quietened, thinking.

"Then we have to do something about it." It was Shiro that spoke, determination set in his eyes.

"Let's go then." The galran was about to get up when Coran finally fluttered his wings.

"Hold on, my boy!" He squawked. "We need a plan first! There's no way a mouse, a dove, a rooster and one galra could do much against the royals." That made Cam sit down.

"Coran's right, we need to think this through." The mouse agreed. "We can't rush into this."

"Then what do we do?" The boy asked.

"Simple." Allura said. She'd be smirking if she could. "We go to the ball."


	4. Chapter 4

"Why do I have to wear this now? It's barely past noon!" Lance whined, his hands hurting from their outstretched position.

"Don't be silly, Lance." His mother, Rosa, said as she was walking around and touching up a few things on her son while the tailors worked. "You have to look presentable."

"Yeah, when the ball is actually happening." He refrained from rolling his eyes. "I'm just gonna get all sweaty and tired in this." The prince loved wearing outfits for parties, true, but they were heavy. At least at the beginning while he had to wear the full attire.

"Then you won't go outside." His mother said from behind him, smirking at her son's frustrated sigh.

"How did I let Hunk convince me to stay here..?" He mumbled his question, the queen had heared it but decided not to answer.

"We're almost done so keep still." She said instead.

The prince frowned, looking at himself in the mirror. He stared right back at the glare he sent himself, his brows furrowing more. He couldn't wait till the day was over. Actually, scratch that, he'd rather this day never stop. He wouldn't have to marry Lotor that way. But then he would have to wear this horribly heavy suit.

He sighed. He had to face the truth - however cold and unwanting - he will marry whether he liked it or not. It was for his people and the ones in the Galra Empire. It was for the good of everyone. It was what it meant to be a royal.

He turned his head towards the open window of the room. The skies were a lovely shade of blue and the clouds as fluffy as cotton. He'd love to just jump put and fly away. And grateful though he was for the life he has, he really wasn't looking forward to the wedding. If he could only choose...

No. No thoughts of him. He is gone- and forever will be. There's no use dwelling on the past. Stood taller as he took a deep breath, looking back at the mirror. He saw determination in the eyes that stared him back.

Rosa looked on with a proud yet sad smile. She was happy to see her son willing to do this for his country... but no one deserved it.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

"I need a dress if I'm gonna warn Lance." Cam said, the sky an orange blue hue behind him. They've been discussing all day, making plans and backup ones, foreseeing everything that could go wrong and for the better. There just a few details that they missed.

"We need an escort." Shiro added as well.

"And a clean up." Allura looked at the galran up and down.

Cam looked at himself as well. He had a few leaves in his hair from the trees outside when he was working, ashes and cinders on his face and hands and a great big deal of dust all over his clothes. They had stains all over and holes in some places. Not to mention shoes and a few accessories if they wanted to blend in with the crowd at the party. They'd need a miracle to pull this off... but...

Lance comes first. He'd go in his rags if he had to, he just needed to tell him.

"Doesn't matter." He said, grabbing a thick scarf from one of the cupboards and wrapped it around his shoulders and forearms. "We're going. We must warn him." And he went out the door. The three odd friends looked at each other puzzled then quickly followed.

"You can't seriously think of walking all the way to Altea?" Allura asked, flying by Cam's head. The determination in his gaze was enough of an answer.

"I'll swim if I have to." He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes then went to staring at the road ahead. Going through the forests would take longer and be more dangerous, considering the wild animals, but he'd be out of sight. He'd get to Altea quicker without any distractions.

"Cam, stop!" Shiro yelled, sitting on Coran's head while the latter wobbled, trying to keep up. "You can't just charge in there!"

"I know!" The galran stopped and turned, glaring at the mouse. "But I can't just sit here knowing that something is gonna happen to Lance and his family without doing something about it!"

"Cam.." Allura began, sitting down by Coran in the tall grass.

"I just..." The teen began, eyes tearing up. He sat down in front of his three odd friends, looking at him with sympathy. "I don't want him gone... Even if he hates me..." He wiped his eye with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Oh Cam..." The dove began, walking up to him and placing her wing on his knee. "We'll save him. We just need to calm down a bit." The galran looked at her, thinking for a moment before nodding. They were right, as usual.

"Okay.. okay, okay." He wiped his other eye and smiled sadly at his three odd friends. They smiled back the best they could.

Suddenly, voices came about from the forest, arguing from what the four could hear.

"I told you we should've taken a left but nooo, let's go right - he says - it's a short cut!- he says!" Two figures, one shorter than the other but looking completely identical, emerged from the forest line.

Their hairs were wild and a light caramel color, their bodies adorned with green robes and glasses framed their eyes. Cam blinked. He's never seen these people in his life before. They were also altean, by the looks of their markings and pointy ears. The lace and details on their robes were also giveaways. They seemed to be high in rank, judging by how they were dressed - though their manners were no where near to what they were supposed to be.

"I swear it was the exact Sam's tree I saw it time I sent that road!" The man, he presumed, yelled back at the other, his hands flailing.

"You do realize we are going through a forest?! Every tree looks the same!"

"Should we.. do something?" Allura whispered to the other three as the strangers approached, early not noticing them.

"I...'d let them talk it out..." Cam said back, not taking his eyes off the two - who were still bickering.

It seemed as though they were lost - judging by their conversation - yet why would someone ranked so high be walking on foot? Did their carriage break or something? So many questions and so little answers. It seemed as though it would be a while before Cam would get some until the shorter of the two finally noticed them. She, the galran presumed, stopped and so did the other. He turned his head to see what his companion was looking at. They all locked eyes. Awkward.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

"Welcome." Lance bowed his head with a smile, the guests bowing back and walking into the ballroom. "Evening, mi'ladies." The two girls giggled and bowed back, whispering about the handsome prince. And God, did he need a drink.

"Hey, buddy, how you doin?" Hunk, bless his heart, came to his rescue, pulling him away from the newcomers into a corner by the curtains, almost hiding him completely from sight.

"Tired." He replied, leaning against the wall.

Don't get him wrong, the ball was going marvelously. The candles were all lit ("For a more romantic appearance!" His mother said), the curtains withdrawn, showing the crescent moon up in the sky along with the twinkling stars. The golden chandeliers sparkled along with them, reflecting the burning light onto other shiny objects and making I seem as if the same stars in the night sky were showing themselves in daylight. The music was gentle and soothing to the ear, allowing conversations to mix in and become a part of the melody. The dresses and suits were all wonderful as well, in different shapes, colors and sizes. And everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves - which should be counted as a huge success. Truly, it all looked like a scene from a fairytale. Nothing could be more perfect than this.

But, to our prince, this was a tale he didn't want to be a part of. At least, not as the main protagonist. He looked up at his companion who gave him a sympathetic smile. He gave a sad one back.

"You'll get through this, buddy. I know you can." The big guy patted the other's back gently, the grip on the spear in his other hand loosening slightly.

"Let's hope I can..." He said then quietly added - "For the rest of my life..." Whether Hunk heard him or not, we will never know, because his head was turned with his brow pinched. His hand on the spear tightened and so did the one on Lance's shoulder.

"Looks like the great prince Lofur is coming." He commented, making Lance snort in a very not princely way.

"Oh my God, did you have to bring that name up?" He asked with a lopsided smile.

"Hey, it's not my fault you couldn't pronounce his name..." The altean paused. " For five years."

"I was a kid!" Finally, the prince laughed, bringing a smile to Hunk's face. How could his friend manage to always make him laugh, Lance will never know. He was grateful nonetheless. "Come on, then." He said, standing up properly and smoothening out his clothes.

With a nod, and a bow because they were in a public setting, the two friends exchanged one last smile before returning back to their posts.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

"Here." Cam placed the two glasses of water down on the table, their new guests taking them gratefully. He waited till they finished their glasses before asking any questions. Pidge, as she introduced herself, beat him to it.

"So, what do you wanna know?" She asked, placing her empty glass down and resting her chin on the back of her folded hands.

"Um.." He sat paused. "Who are you?"

"We just introduced ourselves." Matt, apparently, said, he too placing his glass down.

"No, no, I mean who are you? Where do you come from? What do you do?" The galran tried clarifying.

"Well, for one," Pidge began, pushing her glasses up her nose. "We're sorcerers. Two, we come from Altea - and three, to spare you asking the question, we're currently going to Altea."

"See, we know the royal family on a personal level." Matt continued, smirking as if the information was something to be proud of. Which it was. Unknowingly to them, the three odd friends that were in the corner froze.

"Mostly cause of the magic we've done for them." The shorter one said. "Especially Lance." The two locked eyes, a loving yet tired look on their faces.

Cam stopped. They knew Lance? Then these two could become trusted allies - if what they're saying is true. Time is of the essence and he needed to hurry.

"Prince... Lance?" Cam asked with a hint of hope in his voice.

"The one and only." Matt replied, leaning back on his chair.

"Why?" Now Pidge asked, the siblings gaining a suspicious look. It was like these two could read each other's minds. It was creepy and amusing at the same time.

The galran squinted his eyes at them as well. Experience has taught him not to trust anyone so easily. He folded his arms, staring at the two siblings.

"How do I know you weren't sent here by the royals of this castle?" He asked, narrowing his eyes even more.

"You can trust them, Cam." Shiro stepped in then, all of the three turning to look at him. He was standing on the counter to their left with his arms crossed, but his expression was neutral. He smiled ever so slightly when he locked eyes with the sorcerers. "You haven't changed a bit." He walked towards the edge, jumping down just as Allura flew up, catching him on her back, and landed on the table. Cam was shocked. The three, Shiro especially, never reveal that they can talk. So why now?

"Uh... do we know you?" The sorceress asks, adjusting her glasses and squinting her eyes.

"I'm sure the Pidgeon and the Piglet know me." Matt gasped at Shiro's smirk.

"How do you-?!"

"Oh, I remember the pictures." The mouse chuckled. "And were they funny."

The sorcerers stood quiet for a moment. Then...

"Shiro!" Matt yelled, a wide grin splitting his face.

"Oh my God!-"

"Wait what?-"

"How did you get so small?-"

"Is that Allura?!-"

"The one and only-"

"What is-"

"Coran?!-"

"My boy and girl!-"

"Shiro, what-"

"I can't believe it's you!-"

"What happened to you?-"

"We thought you dead!-"

"Long story-"

"We got time-"

"NO WE DON'T." Silence.

Everyone stared at the galran at the head of the table, his fists down on it's surface and face sporting a frustrated look.

"Lance is in danger and we're here talking like it's a nice Friday evening." He glared at all of them, the three odd friends lowering their heads while the two sorcerers looked on in confusion.

"What do mean 'Lance is in danger'?" Matt spoke after another tense minute of silence. His eyes were narrowed and hands cleanched into fists. Pidge was no different.

"Lotor is planning on killing the royals after the wedding." Finally, the truth was out.

The two newcomers eyes' widened, their mouths falling open. They never trusted the galran royals and now they have a reason why. Granted, they'd need proof, but this was a good a start as any.

"Then let's go." The altean girl stood, pushing her chair back and went to the door.

"Wait!" Shiro called back, running to the edge of the table. The two stood in front t of the door, turning to look at the mouse with raised brows. "Take us with you." Cam stood then too, Coran jumping on the table.

"What?" Pidge asked, her brows narrowing.

"I'm sorry, guys, but I don't know how a mouse, a dove, a rooster and a galran could help. No offence." Matt held up his hands.

"You can break the curse." Allura said, stepping to the edge of the table as well. Cam turned and looked at her in surprise.

"What curse?"

"We'll tell you everything, highness, but not now." She looked at him with all the seriousness she could muster. "We've other things to worry about, but we will tell you." She then turned to the sorcerers again. "You can break the curse. It was put nineteen years ago and it's to break tonight at midnight. I was the one who cast it too." Cam's eyes widened even more. "My magic was weak and new, though somehow it held out." She took a spot closer to the edge. "Please, Pidge. I beg of you. Let us come with you and help."

The two siblings stood, pondering. It was silent for a moment. They turned their heads to each other then nodded.

"Outside." Pidge said, opening the door and leaving the room.

The others followed as well, the three odd friends with a grin while Cam had a frown on his face. This was beginning to get ridiculous.

"First, we'll need a carriage." The sorceress said, walking around the wide, grassy field.

"Can't you just teleport us?" Allura asked as she landed on a stray log that had fallen from the stack by the small kitchen.

"We can teleport ourselves and plus one more person, but not a whole group." Matt replied, staring at his wondering sister. "You may be small animals, but your quintessence is the same. We'd need a lot more magic if we were to do that."

"Ah-ha!" The girl exclaimed in joy, coming back to the group with a big pumpkin in her hands.

"Really?" Her brother chuckled, while she stuck her tongue out.

"It's the easiest way to make a carriage." She placed the pumpkin down and stepped back.

"Watch this." Matt whispered to Cam who hasn't moved his sight from the girl.

Pidge took a deep breath. "Haven't done this in a while." She said mostly to herself. Another deep breath. She waved her hands, small green sparks coming out of the tips of her fingers as she repeated the spell's words in her head.

Slowly, the pumpkin began to grow bigger and bigger, vines wrapping around it. The leaves turned to seats at the front and back of the carriage, the stem growing longer and into four wheels on each side. The orangey-yellow skin of the vegetable turned into a creamy white while gorgeous gold embellishments. The seats on the inside were soft and a beautiful wine red color. Cam had to admit, he was deeply impressed.

"Still got it." The sorceress said as she finally stopped, the pumpkin now a beautiful carriage suited for royalty. "Now for horses."

"Oh! Mice!" Matt exclaimed, waving his hand towards a corner where he spotted a few of those rodents. A lighter shade of green sparks escaped his fingers and the mice turned into lovely white stallions.

"Why are we going in a carriage?" Cam asked as he was getting himself out of his daze. He turned to the small sorceress who was looking very pleased with herself.

"It was a request from the queen of Altea that the ball should be held in a more 'old fanshioned' way. Says it gives the night a certain... charm." Cam swore he saw the girl shiver in distaste.

"And there we go." The galran turned to see the horses were now strapped to the carriage, Matt clapping his hands like he was out on the fields the whole day. "Now for you guys."

He turned to the three odd friends and Cam, smiling wide and happy. He waved his hand and spark flew towards them. The galran covered himself, but he let his hands down when he felt nothing had changed. He looked down to see he was still in his rags then he turned to Matt with a questioning gaze.

"What the-" A familiar voice asked from behind him. He turned and gasped at what he saw.

Standing there, in the places where his three odd friends were, were three odd people. Alteans. He took a step back and looked at them fully. One had black hair with a white tuff at the end of his hairline. He was clad in Altean armor. The one next to him was a woman with long, soft looking white hair. She was wearing a royal altean robe, much like the two sorcerers. And the last one was ginger with a mustache. He was wearing royal altean attire as well.

"Oh my God." The woman said, looking at her hands in pure joy. "We're- we're- Shiro, look! We're altean again!" She laughed as she lunged herself at the armored man.

"We are!" He laughed and the ginger joined in as well.

"Shiro...?" The joyful hug stopped at the small voice. They all turned and looked at Cam with raised brows. The galran was looking at them with narrowed eyes, a hand raised to his chest and mouth slightly parted.

"Highness..." That's it. The conformation he needed to know that these three were his odd friends.

"How.. Why?!" He asked, furious. Was this the thing they were hiding from him his whole life? Did they not trust him enough? Did they think he would throw them out - sv betray them?

"Please, Cam, listen-" Allura tried to reason, to reach out to him, but her hand was slapped.

"No!" He yelled. "I've had enough! First, you start talking to these sorcerers like you're old friends, breaking the most important rule you've set for us; then you go and start talking about curses and magic, about breaking something that's been going on for nineteen years, not even once telling me or hinting at me about this secret life of yours; and you expect me to listen?!" He looked at them with pure rage, hurt and betrayal in his eyes. "I have had enough! How can you keep this from me?! What?! Am I a horse-turned-galra too?!"

Silence.

".. Sooo... should we undo the carriage?" That earned Matt a slap across the head from his sister.

The comment either wasn't heard or was ignored because Cam continued to burn holes in the three odd friends. Guilt was clear in their eyes, but it wasn't enough to take back all that they have lied about.

The galran's eyes burned, hushed tears threatening to fall. He wouldn't allow them to. Getting more upset about this wouldn't do anyone any good, and they were running out of time too, but how else would you expect him to react when the three best friends in his life, the ones who have been with him through thick and thin, promised that there were no secrets between them - ever - straight up lied about who they are?

"Well?" He asked, proud that his voice was level. The three looked down then at each other. All eyes fell on the soldier.

Shiro sighed.

This was their fault and it was time they fixed it.

"You know how we always call you 'your highness'?" No response. He continued nonetheless. "Well, there's a reason behind it."

"Am I allowed to know?" Piercing indigo eyes looked at him with anger. It made Shiro feel even worse.

"It's because we mean it."

"I'm sure you do."

"Cam." Allura said, taking a step towards him.

"What else is a lie? My name? My species? My life is too, right?" He opened his hands, gesturing to everything around him.

"I mean, you are a galra... a half one at least..-"

"Oh my God!" The younger exclaimed and turned his back to the three. He placed a hand on his face as he sighed, trying to calm down.

"Please, Cam, let us explain-"

"There's nothing to explain!" His body was almost shaking with anger. "You lied to my face about who you are and - more importantly - who I am! Who am I anyway?! A merchant's child who decided he didn't want that kid after all?! A babe found on your doorstep?! A prince in hiding?!-"

"Yes." Silence.

"... What?" Cam's eyes were wide, his brows furrowed as his stance slumped slightly.

"Yes." Shiro repeated. "The last one, I mean."

The sorcerers looked at each other, silent questions and answers passing between them. They turned their heads when they heard Cam start to laugh hysterically.

It was crazy to him. Everything. So much happening at once.

"I'm serious, Keith." Allura and Coran looked at the soldier with wide eyes.

"What?" He looked at Shiro's stern and serious face with disbelief and confusion. "Who the fuck is Keith?"

"You are." He searched the other's gaze, but found no lies. What is he saying? "You're real name is Keith and you are the prince and heir to Marmora."

It had occurred to Shiro that there was no use sugar coating it. It was one of those times where the cold, hard truth had to be said in order for someone to understand. And it seemed to do the trick. Cam- Keith, stood there, dumbstruck. He still couldn't believe was he was hearing. And the soldier understood that. He would gladly sit him down and explain everything but now was not the time.

"You know what? Forget it." The galra pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let's just go and save Lance." And he turned, walking towards the carriage.

"Keith-" Shiro began but the glare sent his way shut him up.

He sighed and looked at the other two. This was going to be very difficult.

Thank you to: whimsical-chocolate on Tumblr and walking-into-walls on Tumblr


	5. Chapter 5

Fire.

It's the first thing Shiro always remembered when he recalled that night.

Fire everywhere.

Screams of terror, of pain - shouting, people running, guards guiding them to safety.

He had found Allura first. Frantic and panicked, coughing because of the smoke. He had led her to a more cleared area, one where the fire hadn't yet reached.

Coran had found them next.

He was yelling, calling them over.

The king and queen. The prince.

Quickly, they had made it to the throne room. It seemed the source had come from there. The air had almost turned black, the room ablaze and burning and hot.

A baby was crying.

The queen was holding her son tightly, whispering sweet nothings and promises of 'It'll be alright, you're safe'.

The king had his sword out, protecting his family.

The three had somehow made it to the royals, taking them away from the fire.

"Take him," the queen had said. "Take him away and protect him. It's not safe for him here. Erase all connections to us. They cannot find him." She was desperate and so was her husband.

He could still feel the weight of the baby in his arms whenever he thought of that night.

They took him away with reluctance.

The hurt in the eyes of the two parents had almost made him stay, or at least suggest that they come with, but Allura's grip on his arm was the thing that made him focus on the task at hand.

The had ran.

Ran away from the burning castle, away from the burning kingdom and into the woods.

They were stranded there for almost a week, living off of barriers and wild boars.

They couldn't continue like this. The babe deserved more. Better.

They had made a plan.

The royals told them to erase all connections to the kingdom- and erase they will.

Allura was to cast a spell, one that would change the prince for a while. A long, long while.

He was to become a she, fed the truth of who is was- and still is -slowly over time, let him slowly seep into it.

They would've taught him how to act like prince, be a royal and an heir.

They had it all planned out.

Except for one thing.

Allura had discovered her magical abilities not long ago, and though she was more skilled then most, she still had a long way to go.

Performing small macigal tasks such as making herself disappear and floating Coran about the castle were easy, but putting a curse on someone was not.

Whether she added the wrong ingrediant to her potion and said the wrong words, he wouldn't know, but next thing that Shiro could recall was grass. Lots of it. Tall and thick and wet.

Next the cries of a babe.

Coran admiring himself in a puddle near by and Allura panicking.

They had sat there for hours, the prince finally calming down, when rustling was heard from the bushes.

Shiro had prepared himself to fight, but Allura quickly plucked him away from the ground and flew behind a faraway bush.

He cursed and he thrashed about when a lady in her early thirties appeared before them.

They all stood still.

She looked at the babe down on the ground sleeping soundly.

Shiro had finally freed himself from the dove's beek when he saw the stranger pick up the prince. He ran to her, yelling to put him down.

"What?" The lady looked around. "Is anyone there? Is this your baby?"

"Put him down, now!"

"Sir, please, the babe will freeze to death." She reasoned, still looking around, a little more frantic. "Where are you?"

"Down here, lady!"

She had almost screamed- not because she saw a mouse, no, she was used to that where she lived, but because she saw a talking mouse.

It had taken some convincing, and a lot of reality checks, but the woman had understood their story.

Of course, they didn't tell her that she had held the prince in her arms, but rather that he was a child of nobility that they were tasked to protect because of a grudge someone had against the family.

The magical part of the story, Shiro always thought, was the easiest to believe. It's not everyday you meet talking animals.

Making the woman believe them, though, was the biggest miracle they had ever seen. Most would run off screaming, and she almost did, too. Yet she didn't. And Shiro was grateful.

÷○•÷○•÷○•

He still is. Very much so, actually. They only regret he has now was not telling Keith about who he is sooner.

The disbelieving and distrusting look on his face was not worth the wait.

He, along with Allura and Coran, had watched him grow into the young man he is today. They played a big part in his life, whether the boy wanted to admit it or not.

And now, sitting in the carriage, in thick and tense silence, was not really how he had planned to tell him. He looked around nervously.

Allura had her head bowed in shame and her brows were knitted with worry. Coran was in a similar position.

Keith had his arms crossed, the furious look almost knotting his brows together. He was staring out the window, sitting in the far corner of the cushioned seats.

How does one break silence such as this?

Luckily, he didn't have to. As he was about to speak, though no words came to mind, dark indigo-violite eyes locked onto his.

"Well?" Was the question. Huh?

"What?" Shiro asked, dumbstruck. Allura and Coran lifted their heads in surprise as well.

Keith rolled his eyes. "Are you gonna explain or?"

"Right, right." He composed himself, shifting slightly in his seat. Another few tense moments of silence passed. Shiro rubbed his neck. "Okay, um... where do I begin." He mumbled to himself.

"The start?" Said Keith sarcastically.

"Right." He said again. "The Galra Empire and Altea were at war for decades. The peace they have now is very fragile. As we know, Lance and Lotor will marry in order to keep that peace."

"Get to the point, I already know this." The galra said impatiently.

Shiro sighed, but continued anyway. "Prince Lance was supposed to marry another." Keith's brow raised at this. "He was supposed to marry you." And now he's portraying a look of pure shock. What?

"What?" He unfolded his arms, setting at his side and sitting up straighter.

"You are the prince of Marmora. You and Lance would've united the two in order to defeat the galra." The night's face turned grim. "But there was an assassination attempt done just weeks after your birthday."

"We were ordered by the queen, your mother," Allura continued, finding the courage to speak as the conversation finally started flowing. "To do whatever we had to do to keep you safe." She looked down at her hands with a broken look. "I thought it would've been best to turn you into a girl and tell you of your true haritage slowly as you gre older, but my spell backfired." She looked up at the young man again. "Instead, I turned us all into animals. Then the maiden found you."

"Mom..." He mumbled, looking slightly down.

"Yes, your mother." Now Coran took over. "We explained to her what was happening and she agreed to help us. She wanted to tell you so badly as well." Now all of them were looking down in guilt, Keith with a thoughtful expression.

This was certainly a fun ride.

He sighed, closing his eyes. This was giving him a headache and he really didn't want to put more weight on his shoulders.

"Okay, here's what we're gonna do." The young man said, still looking down. "You'll explain everything to me after the ball. First priority is Lance." He gazed at them, determined eyes locking with three slightly surprised ones. "We warn him, then we deal with Lotor. We'll fix this whole thing after we're done with all this."

The three odd friends sat in a few seconds of silence before smiling brightly. Keith managed to smile slightly at them too.

"Just..." He began again, his voice smaller this time. "Are my parents still alive?" He looked at Shiro with hopeful eyes. The knight couldn't lie to him, but he also couldn't break his heart.

"I.. don't know.." He replied. "We haven't recieved word from Marmora ever since we left."

"Oh.." The hope in indigo-violet eyes was slowly burning out.

"But they're wonderful people." The sorceress said, smiling brightly at him.

"Yeah..?" He looked at her eyes, seeing how happy she was to talk about his parents.

"Oh yes, truly amazing in all aspects." And Coran joined as well, twisting his mustache like he did long ago.

The ride from then on was filled with stories of the king and queen of Marmora, of the great battles they fought -both on the field and with the council- of their fine rule and kindness, of the songs they would sing and playful fights they would all have.

Of the anticipation of the prince and the joy they felt when he finally came to the world- of the feast held in honor of said prince and the happiness of the people of Marmora, but most importantly, the pure love the two rulers felt for the child when they held him.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

"We're approaching Altea!" Pidge yelled from the front of the carriage.

Keith couldn't honestly explain what he saw when he looked out the window. It was so very different from his home. Lights lined the streets every ten feet, decorations placed on every home, colorful flowers and green vines growing out of every window and people smiling and laughing about.

It was night yet it felt like it was day here in Altea. The atmosphere was so much softer and brighter than the one at home. Instead of seeing people scoff and glare, he saw them wave and greet the two sorceress up front like they were close friends. And don't get him started on the castle.

It looked so grand even from this far. White with blue details lined with black and grey. It looked pure and inviting yet cold and collective. Can a building look like a person?

"It's exactly as I remember it." He heard Allura mumble, but didn't confront her. If she is a sorceress as she says then she would have traveled many places to learn her magic. It wouldn't be a surprise I'd she went to the castle to learn there as well.

"Okay." Pidge popped up, startling all four. "Relax, it's just me." Keith looked at her, annoyed. "Anyway, we got ten minutes till we get to the castle and we need a plan. Matt said he's gonna take us from the back so we can sneak in."

"Why not go through the front?" The galran asked, his brow raised.

"People will recognize us." Allura began. "They know that we were last at Marmora and confusion would arise. All think us dead, including you."

"So it would be a surprise if we showed up with a young adolescent with us, now wouldn't it?" Coran twisted his mustache.

"I suppose."

"And people would suspect us as well- if we survived then why wouldn't the prince, too? Especially Zarkon." Shiro last said, sealing the conversation.

"Okay, okay, I get it." Keith replied, lofting his hands up in surrender. "No front entrance. What next?"

"Well, I need to teach you altean mannerisms."

"He knows tthe basics." Shiro said.

"Still." The girl replied.

"There are too many and we don't have the time." He said back. "He knows to who to curtsey and how to say goodbye. Besides, we aren't here to socialize."

Pidge sighed. "Alright." She said just as the carriage stopped. "We're here." The door opened, Matt on the other side as they all stepped out. "And where do you think you're going?" She said just as Keith was about to leave, grabbing his arm.

"Uh, to warn Lance?" Wasn't it obvious?

"Dressed like _that_?" He looked at himself. Well, she dis have a point. "I don't think so."

The sorceress took a step back and examined the prince, looking him up and down. She nodded her head and flicked her wand, bright green sparkles surrounding him. A dress started to form at the bottom, his old rags transforming as he looked on in amazement. The fabric was soft and well fitting, a beautiful lilac color too. He looked at the dress once Pidge was finished, turning and walking around a few steps to get a feel for it. It was _very_ comfortable. But...

"I'm too purple." He said, looking at his exposed arms.

"You're the prince of Marmora, right? Means you're half galra, half altean." She said, plaximf her hands on her hips and smirked at him.

Realization dawned on him as he looked down at his arms again. He closed his eyes concentrated, feeling his skin turning into a different color. When he opened his eyes again, the yellow sclera was now white and his skin was a peachy cream. His ears were no longer fluffy but had that pointed elegance that all alteans owned. Two red crescent moons appeared under his eyes as well, giving his face a nice highlight.

"Well?" He asked, looking at his companions.

"Oh, you look so beautiful!" Allure spoke up, walking up to him. "And that dress! How did you manage?" She turned to Pidge, her eyes sparkling.

"A friend." The sorceress replied, winking at the other.

"Hey, I hate to burst your bubble, but we gotta get going." Matt interrupted, pointing towards the castle. "Time is running out and the magic only lasts till midnight. Then POOF- back to normal." Be said, gesturing wildly with his hands.

The galra looked at him and then at his friends, locking eyes with each before finally facing the stairs up the castle.

"Then let's go."


	6. Chapter 6

The large doors opened, inviting him into the room. He stepped in cautiously, glancing around to see he was on top of some sort of balcony like structure with stairs coming off both sides. He went close to the railing, placing his hands on the thick marble. People were chatting down in front of him, the music playing softly.

All of a sudden, the chatter started dying down, faces turning to look at what others were. Gulping, Keith steeled himself when he saw all the eyes on him. He was never good with crowds, _especially_ when the attention was on him. It didn't matter though. This was for Lance. He came to warn him, even at the cost of making a complete fool of himself.

He steeled himself and straightened his back, stepping to his right and descending down the stairs. His heels would've made a very, very loud clicking sound in the ballroom if it wasn't for the soft music still playing. He thanked the musicians internally for that.

The eyes on him were still so very unnerving and unmoving as he finally stepped off the last stair. Now what? He looked around as quickly as he could, noticing what kind of looks he was getting - amazed, shocked, awed, jealous, narrowed and many other mixes. It made him feel even more nervous.

"Hi!" A voice said suddenly. He turned to see a little boy, no more than six years old, standing beside him. His hand was on his dress, tugging it to get his attention.

".. Hello." He replied slowly. He wasn't really good with kids - one reason was because he didn't get to be around many of them; the other is because he doesn't really like them. But, he's been to town enough to know how to at least act around them.

He looked around to see if there was a frantic mother or father looking for their son, but what he got surprised him slightly. Half and more of the people that were staring turned their attention back to whatever they were doing like nothing had happened. A small clearing was also starting to form in the center of the ballroom. Hmm. Interesting.

He turned his head back at the boy to see him smiling at him shyly, his shoulders hunched and his hands behind his back. Even Keith had to admit he was adorable.

"Would you dance with me?" He held out a tiny hand for the other. That took our galran by surprise. He didn't really expect to be asked to dance, let alone by a little kid. He admired the boy's courage to ask someone he didn't even know to dance, but he didn't have time for this.

"Are you sure your parents will be alright with you dancing with a stranger?" He knelt a little before the boy, his bright blue eyes shining in the light. They were awfully familiar. It didn't matter, he needed to stay focused.

"My mom and dad always tell me that I'll need to find someone someday!" He said in an excited tone which made Keith's eyes widen. He was taken aback by the answer. Why was a kid like him thinking about marriage?

"I'm sure your parents will worry if they see you dancing with a stranger." He needed to come up with excuses, at least for the boy's safety. He didn't need to drag a kid into this mess.

"So... You won't dance with me..?" Perfect. The boy was on the verge of crying. What's even worse was the people around them. Whispers flew about, accusing and hurtful. He did not need this right now.

With a sigh, he offered the kid his hand, a small smile playing on his lips. Immediately, like he wasn't just about to start bawling, the boy smiled up at him wide and too his hand eagerly, pulling him towards the open space in the middle as the music continued on to play. The boy grabbed his other arm when they stopped and started to twirl around. Keith had to admit, even if didn't want to be in this situation, the altean knew the basic moves but he lacked rhythm.

He had such a troubled look on his face too. His head was tilted to his feet, his lips in a pout and his brows furrowed. He remembered when he and his mother would dance together- he used to make the same expression. His mother would laugh and assure him that he was doing fine and continue to dance. So, an idea popped in his head.

"Put your feet on mine." The boy looked up at his dance partner, his brows going up in confusion.

"What?" He voiced his thoughts. Keith chuckled a little despite himself.

"My mother taught me how to dance like this. She would move her feet with mine on hers and I'd memorize the steps." He explain as he encouraged the boy.

"But mama said never to step on anyone's feet." Keith smiled at that too.

"It's alright if it's dancing." He reassured with the softest smile he could offer.

The altean boy stared at him for a moment or two, contemplating what to do before he smiled -wide and big- and did as he was told.

"Okay!" He looked down and gently placed his feet on Keith's saying: "Your dress is so poofy!" And honestly, it did look like his dress wanted to swallow the boy.

The galran laughed at his comment, grinning as he tightened his grip on the boy and started swaying. He started off slowly, figuring out how far the boy could step, then he began to twirl and move, making the altean laugh. Maybe kids weren't so bad.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Far off in the corner, a pair of violet eyes were looking at the mysterious guest dancing with her son. Almost all eyes were on them, looking on at how the young prince was dancing with this lady. She'd never seen her before -must be from a far away kingdom- she thought to herself.

Though, it was strange not to know someone who looked so.. extravagant. Her dress looked like it cost more than her life and her hair looked like it was bathed in the freshest of waters with the softest of creams.

She had asked around a while before and no one knew her either. It was like a fairy just decided to appear out of thin air and steal the show. The only thing that was missing was her wings.

Rosa started walking towards her throne, keeping a close eye on the mysterious woman- yet she couldn't help the small smile that made it's way up to her lips. Calderon looked happy and carefree, not that he didn't any other day. The young prince usually hated parties where he had to dress up, yet the young boy was enjoying himself now.

"Say, do you know who this young lady with Calderon is, Rosa?" Alfor, her husband, asked.

"No, sire." She replied, looking at the king. "I haven't seen nor heard of her before. Seems that no one has." She tilted her head back to the center of the ballroom.

This time, instead of Calderon and the young lady being the only ones dancing, it seemed that all of the princes and princesses rounded up on her. Rosa sighed. She could see the small distress on the lady's face. Her family could be so overbearing.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

How'd Keith get himself in this predicament, he knew not. All the knew was that one moment he was dancing with the young boy, twirling him from time to time and laughing along, and the next he was being surrounded by more kids and teens.

Here's how his personal hell (is it really hell though?) began. He was dancing with the young boy and a girl, who seemed to be the little boy's age, ran up to them, asking Keith to dance with her too. He couldn't help but oblige.

Then a toddler and a boy about eleven showed up. The toddler was slobbering all over the preteen's shoulder though the other didn't seem to mind.

Next a girl, who introduced herself as Matea, came up behind him and complimented his dress. A slight flush made it's way up to Keith's cheeks.

And finally, a girl around seven and a five year old boy walked up to them, talking about the baked goods on the buffet table like they were old friends.

That's how, our dearest Keith, found himself in between an endless amount of questions.

"Where did you get that dress from? It's soooo pretty!" The seven year old said.

"Your hair looks so soft." Matea complimented, pushing away the urge to touch.

"No, Alex!" The eleven year old exclaimed, trying to keep the toddler in his hands steady.

Unbeknownst to the group, all pair of eyes were looking at them, including the king's and queen's (they never left). A soft yet amused smile was on both of their faces, enjoying the interactions of their children and grandchildren.

"It seems that '#1 uncle' is going to be replaced soon." Sophia, their third eldest, walked up to them, a hand on her round stomach.

Rosa chuckled. "Don't tell Lance that."

"Tell me what?" The prince seemed to appear out of nowhere, a bored Lotor trailing behind him.

Lance had tried to avoid him, coming up with the excuse that he had to greet the guests, but people started to talk about the fact that they were clearly avoiding each other. As prince, it was his duty to insure that his people felt safe and if it meant having Lotor by his side till the end of the party then so be it. His mama raised a gentleman and a devoted prince and he was going to show it.

"Oh, nothing." His sister said, waving her hand.

"Oh please, dearest sister, who I love so much," Lance insisted, walking up to Sophia and bowing to her. The woman snorted at the last words. "Do tell what it is you shouldn't tell me." The galran prince rolled his eyes. His betrothed couldn't be more dramatic.

"Well, it's just..." She began, trailing her sentence just to tease her brother. "You might be getting some competition over there." She smirked.

"What?" Lance's eyes widened with horror. Scratch that- yes, he can.

Sophia pointed to the scented of the ballroom, the prince ready to tell off whoever was about to steal his title -one that he had worked very hard to earn and that almost broke his back, mind you- when he stopped to get a clear look at the stranger holding his nephew.

His breath hitched.

Have you ever seen a firefly up close? Have you ever ran to try and catch it so you can look at how it glows? All bright and shiny, lighting up the palm of your hands.

That's how Lance felt right now, like he was looking at a firefly.

The stranger seemed to glow and everything beyond went out of focus. Even the nervous look was radiant. How pretty..

"You better step up your game, Lance." He was brought back to reality by his sister coming close behind him, tapping his shoulder while sporting a smirk. He blinked a few times, tearing his eyes away from the firefly and looking at her, expression almost confused. "Seems like your close to getting replaced." The woman teased, unintentuonally helping to bring Lance back up to speed.

He cleared his throat. "Right." He said, putting his drink down on the nearest throne's arm rest and adjusted his collar as he gained a serious expression to his face. He still has atitle to protect.

He strolled a few feet away from the group, clearing his throat loudly. The stranger had tensed up, turning around to face him. Lance's breath was painfully knocked out of him again.

Why?

Well, for one: damn- even prettier up close. And for another: why did his heart begin to ache when he saw those purple eyes? There was just something so familiar about them.

A few seconds of silence passed, both just staring at each other as the music and chatter continued to play in the background. And that's all it was. Background noise. It seemed as though all of their senses had numbed just so their sight wouldn't loose focus - yet they could steal hear the beating of their hearts, Keith more specifically.

The rapid thump-thump-thump was deafening; the tingling in their finger tips was almost painful; their breaths close to nonexistent. Yet Lance felt his mind was buzzing, like when he drank too much, only this time he'd remember everything that happens in detail.

In a split second, all of Keith's senses returned when a small hand placed itself onto the galran's cheek. Turning his head away, he looked at the toddler in his arms, smiling and showing his baby teeth. Small drool was pouring down his chin, Matea quickly wiping it off with a handkerchief she seemed to pull out of no where. That was enough to bring Lance back to reality. He shook his head, letting out a small breath.

"Evening, m'lady." He bowed, his voice strangely calm -with a bit of an edge to it, mind you- even though his insides were screaming.

"Uh.. You too." Keith replied, pitching his voice higher and curtsying slightly.

"Uncle Lance, look!" The five year old girl said, pulling slightly on Keith's dress. "It's so pretty! Can I have one just like this?!" She was practically bouncing.

"You'll have to ask your mother, Theo." He smiled softly at his niece before his gaze returned to the stranger, gaining a sharper look. Keith gulped. "And ask where the lady got her dress from."

"Where'd you get it?!" Theo, apparently was her name, turned so fast around that the one in question was surprised she didn't start flying off.

"Um, a friend gave it to me." He replied unsurely.

"Well, it's really lovely!" The seven year old said.

"Thank you.. uh.. um..." He just remembered that he didn't actually get all of the kids names.

The rest looked at each other with questioning gazes. "Do you not know who we are?" Matea asked, a soft, non judgemental brown raised towards him.

"I live far away, news travels slow. Sometimes I don't even get news." It wasn't a complete lie.

"I am princess Matea of Altea, Lance's sister." The girl introduced herself. Keith's eyes widened.

"Princess Camila of Pejuba, the daughter of queen Natalia and king Samuel! I'm their niece." She pointed to Lance and Matea.

"I'm Theo of Pejuba, her sister." The girl seemed so shy all of a sudden it stunned Keith.

"Prince David of Altea, their brother." He, too, pointed to the soon-to-be king and his sister. "The twins: Calderon and Gea of Altea. That's Alexander of Menica you're holding. He's our nephew." The eleven year old smiled slightly.

Keith felt dizzy. Not only was he surrounded by the whole royal family but he was holding a member too. He suddenly felt very self-conscious of how he was holding baby Alexander. He was afraid to drop him- what if he did- god that would be a bad first impression- what if they send guards at him- Lance would hate his guts forever- Lotor will figure him out- his three odd friends would get the same fate as him- this could go bad in so many ways- what if-

"Could we go back to dancing again?" He was snapped back into reality by Calderon who was tugging gently at his dress.

"Dancing?" Keith and Lance asked at the same time; the former with confusion while the latter with surprise and curiosity.

"Yeah!" The boy smiled brightly. "We were having so much fun before Gea and the others came." He pouted. Keith's heart slightly melted at that.

"Really now?" Lance asked, a brow raised. He looked up from his baby brother to the stranger. "So you must be good, no?"

"My mother taught me." Keith said in a low voice, lowering his head and avoiding eye contact at all cost. He felt embarrassed enough, no need to confirm it in Lance's eyes.

"Then may I?" The prince asked all of a sudden, his hand outstretched. Keith looked at him dumbfounded, Alexander staring with a curious look in his arms. "I want to see so for myself, if you wouldn't mind." His smile was smug, going towards a smirk yet it held a sort of... gentleness in it.

"I- uh-"

"Promise to dance with me after?" He looked down at Calderon, the boy pulling his best puppy eyes. Well, it seemed fate had already decided for him - he might as well face death (embarrassment more likely) with his head held high.

"Of course." He said, Matea going over to him and taking Alexander from his hands.

"Have fun." She said. "And don't let him intimidate you." She chuckled and left to the side, the others following close behind.

Keith turned back towards the prince, his nerves spiking up again. This would be bad if he found out who he was. It would be ever worse if Lotor did.

"Shall we?" That smug yet soft smile was still placed on Lance's face, his hand waiting.

".. Of course." And slowly, he placed his hand on the other's.

The prince gripped the hand in his tightly, feeling the curves and softness of it. His brows furrowed slightly, though. He also felt callouses. Those were not the hands of someone who looked pampered.

"Something wrong?" He didn't notice he was staring at the joint hands until the stranger spoke up. He lifted his gaze, smiling away his slight confusion and revelation.

"No." And with that, he pulled them closer to the center of the dance floor, the music and chattering dying down.

Keith gulped, stopping to face Lance as they both bowed to each other. This could end really good or really, really bad.

Suddenly the soft music started, snapping him away from his thoughts. He locked his right hand at the wrist with Lance's, his left behind at his side, slightly raised from his dress, and started stepping forward.

"So," Lance began as they stopped and took three steps back, turning the other way with now their left wrists locked. "Have I seen you around?"

"No, my prince." Keith answered, changing their rotation again.

"Really? I can't help feeling as though I've seen you somewhere before." He didn't miss how the stranger's shoulders tensed slightly.

"Like I said, I come from somewhere far so I highly doubt it."

"Of course." Lance nodded, seeing the logic in the sentence, Keith happy that he bought it. "And your name?"

"I'm here only for a few more days sire and I'm sure we'll never see each other again." How the hell he was creating these excuses and lies on the spot Keith will never know.

Lance raised a brow but didn't go on further. Alright. "Well, I can't keep addressing you as 'you' throughout the night." Time to test this stranger. "But, I supposed it would suffice if its just for one night. You wouldn't be the first nor the last of the list."

"Pardon?" What? His gaze turned to the prince's locking eyes with blue.

"Ah, did I say that out loud?" He asked, smiling sheepishly. "It's just that there are so many faces here that it would be hard to remember _everyone_. And as beautiful as you are, Firefly," -Both compliment and nickname made Keith blush- "You haven't really shown me something to remember you by."

"Am I *_boring_* you, sire?" He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"No, no, it's just this dancing is." And as if to emphasize his point, he placed a hand on his mouth to cover it whilst 'yawning'. He was already up to his neck in this, why not entertain himself till the end?

"Is that a challenge, _sire_?" Keith smirked, a spark coming into his eyes. Where'd this side of him come from? Right, Lance always used to provoke him when they were younger. Seems old habits die hard. Even if someone doesn't know that they're actually provoking them.

"And if it is?" The prince asked, smirking himself. It was nice to see that the stranger had a playful spirit in them, a glint in their eye. A familiar glint.

Their left wrists were locked when the music started to change up it's beat slightly. They took the three steps back, this time, Lance stopping while Keith turned and continued, locking their opposite hands and making a quarter of a circle before being pulled to a chest, getting face to face with Lance. The music paused for a second.

"Then I shall have to accept, my prince." And the music began abruptly, the two moving before they even got into their positions.

Perfect sync - is what someone would say when they saw them. Everyone looked along, staring at the flowing dress of the stranger, the fast paced feet of the prince, their blurry faces.

It was as if they were hypnotists, catching and holding all gazes that fell upon them. When was the last time people saw someone dance like this with another? Some never, others a few times.

Rosa has never seen it herself. But she sure as hell felt it. All eyes on them as they danced the night away, lost in the music and steps. In each others eyes, a certain... gleam in them.

Though, it felt strange. Looked strange to her. The way her son was dancing with this mysterious lady. And she with him. That gleam in their eyes seemed sharp, competative, yet... oddly gentle and curious. She felt even more entranced by this display then your typical lovey-dovey dancing.

The sharpness and swiftness of the dancing was not left unnoticed by Lotor either. His eyes were narrowed (seeming to be stuck that way, if you ask me) as he looked on, pointedly staring at the stranger with his fiancé. Who was this girl? Where'd she come from? He needed to separate them. This could end badly if not.

The stares went unnoticed by the couple though as they were far into their own world. It was strange, as this whole night has been to Keith. He almost peed a few minutes ago from fear of talking to Lance again and now he was smiling with a sparkle in his eye, his body moving on autopilot.

It honestly felt amazing - dancing with someone like this. The music was sharp yet precise, loud yet unbothering, in perfect sync with their moves. How grand it felt - it looked - it seemed all of this to be.

Lance had lost himself in the feeling. He was sure this beautiful stranger had too. It also seemed that he couldn't wipe the stupid grin off his face. It truly felt as though they were free in their own little world and all around could see.

Too soon, the music ended, they both stopping close to each other, chests pressed and hands clenched in each others. The clapping from around them brought them back to reality, but they never left each others eyes.

Gently Lance stepped away slightly, their hands still clasped. "So." He said softly, out of breath. "Seems you can dance, Firefly."

Keith giggled.


End file.
